I loved Shannon Brown in college, by far one of my favorite players there. I actually wanted him in the draft when we got Farmar. He went ahead like 2 or 3 spots I think. He is a freak athlete, solid defender, and hopefully he can emerge as an Ariza type player for us, except as a smaller guard of course.

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”

I loved Shannon Brown in college, by far one of my favorite players there. I actually wanted him in the draft when we got Farmar. He went ahead like 2 or 3 spots I think. He is a freak athlete, solid defender, and hopefully he can emerge as an Ariza type player for us, except as a smaller guard of course.

He actually got drafted right before us, he went to Cleveland, and then we took Farmar next pick. And I feel the exact same way you do. I wanted him in the draft over Farmar, but I'm happy with Farmar. I also think this will be good for Farmar because it will give him competition for playing time again, and we saw how well he performed when we had Crittenton.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

Kobe can slide down to 3 and Brown can play 2...just like when Kobe and Ariza close out quarters and games. If Brown can hit even a decent % of his shots, he will challenge Ariza for minutes in crucial situations because of his defense...which is on par with Ariza's, ceteris paribus.

Trevor Ariza always played defense. Even when he lacked skills. Shannon Brown doesn't. Huge difference. Hopefully somebody will light a spark under him.

I don't know about that. Even at Mich St, he was one of the best defenders in the country. I have seen him match up with some of the bigger offensive names in the NBA also. I'm not sure how you can say he doesn't play defense consistently (or always).

If he can hit the outside shot, he'll find minutes. His defense is the last thing I'm worried about.

This move also decreases Kobe's minutes...which is key in a long season, against decent offensive players. Another guy who can take the defensive load off Kobe even when Kobe's on the court.

I see this as a win for our defense more than our offense.

And can you imagine Kobe, Ariza, Brown, Pau and Bynum on the court at the same time? That's super defense and athleticism.

Dunleavy was boo'd in Oakland as well for he was considered a bust. The minute he changed his scenary, and the expectations dissolved, Dunleavy put up a 20 pt season, and shot 40% from 3.

For Morrison, we know the shooting is there, we know the passion is there, I think he just couldn't handle the pressure. This isn't like Kwame where we're trading for a completely raw talent. He has a great skillset that he just hasn't put together. I believe he'll do well in the triangle, and I hope Brown does well also.

Here's the thing though...if he played defense and was productive the Cavs wouldn't have let him go.

He was a thrown in to make the salaries match, but he has size for a 2 guard, is extremely athletic and has upside as a defender and shooter. He's a FA after the season and will have to earn a spot on a team. If the coaching staff likes him, he might get offered a contract next year.